King of darkness, king of light
by Katieghost
Summary: What does being the Pumpkin King really means? Is it being dark, like Halloween, or being himself? As his perspective on the world changes, Jack has to wonder...


**Hiya, peoples! :D Did ya miss me? ^.^**

**Today I'm here to bring you another short one-shot about Jack after the movie. I seem to be pretty good at getting inside his head...Why would that be?**

**Anyways, this one was inspired by the word "chiaroscuro," which I think is an interesting word. ^_^**

**Oh, and there's also a little Jack/Sally fluff (as usual). ^-^**

******(In case you're wondering, this is not the one-shot I was talking about in my profile. 'Though I'm _really_ close to finishing it. So many details... ^^")**

**Enjoy! :)**

**(Disclaimer: TNBC belong to Tim Burton, not me. 'Nuff said.)**

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In this world existed darkness, which he was familiar with (though not much), and there was also light. Both could coexist in the same environment, but one would always have dominion over the other.

That's why he lived in this state of doubt, caught between the two but never really wanting to belong to either of them. Halloween was dark, this he knew, but he...wasn't. That's why they celebrated it the way they did. He just couldn't bear the thought of harming another being for fun. He couldn't take joy in someone else's discomfort, _especially_ if he caused it.

And yet, his people were different. Some of them could be completely dark, other ones could have a little light deep inside. The problem was that most, if not all, of them had a mostly dark side while he, their King no less, had a mostly light side. Most of the time, he had to pretend around others so that they wouldn't suspect he was different from them.

That didn't matter, though, because things were changing.

His almost non-existent dark side was growing. This worried him. He was not used to being dark, save in special cases (Oogie's demise being one of them). But recently, dark thoughts had begun to plague his mind day and night. He didn't know where they had come from, but he did know when they had started.

It had been shortly after the Christmas fiasco.

After his epic self-realization about his true nature (his real calling) at that graveyard in the real world, he felt something inside him break free. As if, suddenly, after centuries of being locked away in some deep part of him, it could finally be free.

His darkness.

But he didn't—could not let it take over. He was _not_ dark. He was _not_ **evil**, like Oogie Boogie had been. He never wanted to be like that.

But he was the Pumpkin King. That was the crux of the problem. The Pumpkin King _should_ be dark; it was the epitome of darkness _itself_. He **should** be dark.

Yet he didn't want to be!

"Are you okay, Jack?" a soft voice at his right brought him out of his reverie.

He blinked at her, surprised at being so abruptly taken out of his rather deep thoughts. Then it came to him. He had almost forgotten he was taking a walk with his beloved Sally before he became lost in his musings.

"You seem...troubled," she added when he didn't reply, her brow furrowing in worry.

"I'm sorry, my Sally..." he whispered after a while, purposely not meeting her eyes. "I...just have a lot on my mind, that's all..."

"Oh... Okay, then." She seemed disappointed that he wasn't telling her what was bothering him, but he knew this was one of those things he couldn't tell her. Not now, anyways, when their relationship was so very young. She must have known this, too, because of the next thing she said.

"I just worry about you sometimes, Jack... Please take care of yourself."

He sighed contentedly. Such a doting little creature she was... Always so caring towards him... She was an angel; there was no doubt she was completely light. The only different being in this town of darkness. And what was he? A weird mix of the two, not even knowing to which he belonged more. At times he wondered how could she fall in love with him. He didn't deserve her, not one bit. But then he pushed that thought out of his mind, not wanting to dwell on it or anything along those lines. He might not deserve her, but he needed her. Desperately.

But that was another matter. If his growing darkness was bothering him to the point Sally was noticing it, then it was getting serious.

He needed to stop this.

Stop fighting against it.

Because that was the only way to end this struggle. If he fought against his darkness, it might drive him insane. He needed to let himself surrender to it and let it break free. It might change who he was, but hopefully it won't consume him too much.

Sally wouldn't like that.

The good part was that he wouldn't have to pretend anymore around his citizens. They would finally get the Halloween they have always wanted.

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**There you have it. :) Please tell me if you liked it (or, contrarywise, if you didn't). ^_^**


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